The present invention relates to a modified sports racquet for use in a catch and throw ball game and, in particular, to a modified racquet made from a stringless racquet, such as a used, stringless, badminton racquet.
Many racquet games use a hand held racquet which is used to propel the object to be hit, toward an opponent. In order to propel the object, strings are tightly strung across the head of the racquet which gives sufficient force to the object when hit to propel it towards the opponent.
Examples include the game of tennis, the game of badminton or the game of squash. Each game uses a racquet with a head at the end of a handle which carries a surface of a tightly wound string across the head of the racquet which is used to propel the ball, the birdie or the squash ball toward the opponent.
Other sports use variations of such a racquet. For example, lacrosse is a game of ball, originating from the North American Indians, now the popular field sport of Canada, and played also in the United States and in England. The game is played on a field by two teams of ten players each. Each player carries a long-handled racquet, called a xe2x80x9ccrossexe2x80x9d. The ball is not handled but caught with the crosse and carried on it, or tossed from it, the object being to carry it and throw it into the opposing team""s goal.
Conventional lacrosse racquets have a head portion which defines an opening within which is mounted a net to form a scoop-shaped pocket. In the past the head portions of the lacrosse racquets have been formed of wood or other materials. More recently, plastic heads are customarily used.
With these racquets, if the net or string is broken, the service of a professional stringer equipped with special stringing machine is needed to repair the net. The cost of replacing the entire net is expensive. This is the same for all kinds of racquets such as badminton racquets, squash racquets, and tennis racquets, etc. When the strings of these racquets are broken, the service of a professional stringer equipped with special stringing machine will be needed to replace and tighten the strings. These used racquets with broken strings are often put away and become useless items.
It is an object of the present invention to produce a scoop-shaped pocket for use in combination with a racquet frame.
It is another object of the present invention to produce a useful racquet made from used stringless badminton, squash, tennis, or other kinds of racquets.
It is another object of the present invention to recycle used racquet frames.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method of producing a racquet for use in a catch and throw ball game.
According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a racquet comprising a handle and a head frame, the head frame having a proximal end portion connected to the handle and a distal end portion; a flexible scoop provided on one side of the head frame, the flexible scoop defining a central pocket; and a flexible crosspiece extending across the distal end portion of the head frame for supporting a distal end portion of the flexible scoop on a back side thereof, wherein the flexible scoop defines a first ramp portion along which a ball can be rolled outwardly from the central pocket and towards the head frame, and wherein the distal end portion of the flexible scoop, being supported by the flexible crosspiece, defines a second ramp portion extending from the first ramp portion along which the ball can be rolled continuously from the first ramp portion, along the second ramp portion, and towards a distal end of the head frame.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a racquet comprising a handle and a head frame, the head frame having a proximal end portion connected to the handle and a distal end portion; a flexible sheet being longer and wider than the head frame and having string receiving apertures provided along a peripheral portion thereof, the flexible sheet being fastened within the head frame, thereby forming a flexible scoop on one side of the head frame for catching and throwing a ball; and a flexible crosspiece extending across the distal end portion of the head frame for supporting a distal end portion of the flexible scoop on a back side thereof, wherein the flexible scoop and the flexible crosspiece define at least a ramp portion along which a ball can be rolled.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided a flexible scoop device for use in combination with a racquet frame, the racquet frame having a handle and a head frame, and the head frame having a proximal end portion connected to the handle and a distal end portion, the flexible scoop device comprising a flexible scoop portion being formed by folding and stitching a flexible sheet which is longer and wider than the head frame; a flexible crosspiece portion both ends of which being stitched to respective opposite edges of the flexible scoop portion, thereby forming generally a headband portion adapted to fit around the head frame at the distal portion thereof for holding the flexible scoop portion in a predetermined position relative to the head frame; and a plurality of string receiving apertures provided along a peripheral folded portion of the flexible scoop portion, whereby the flexible scoop portion is fastened to the head frame by means of a string.
According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of producing a useful racquet comprising the steps of providing a stringless racquet with a handle and a head frame having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion; providing a flexible sheet with string receiving apertures formed along a peripheral portion thereof, the flexible sheet being longer and wider than the head frame; folding and stitching at least a portion of the flexible sheet together to form a flexible scoop; stitching both ends of a flexible crosspiece to opposite edges of the flexible scoop thereby forming generally a headband portion; fitting the headband portion around the head frame from the distal end portion thereof thereby holding the flexible scoop in a predetermined position relative to the head frame; and fastening the flexible scoop to the head frame by means of a string.